Certain embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a connector position assurance device (CPA) for use with electrical connector housings, and an electrical connector system having a connector position assurance device.
Electrical connectors have been proposed that utilize a latch or retention assembly to maintain connector halves in a fully mated position, along with a CPA. When the connector halves are mated and the latch or retention assembly is positioned to maintain contact between the connector halves, the CPA is moved to a position that indicates the connector halves are properly connected. Thus, the CPA provides a means to assure that the connector halves are fully mated.
It is advantageous to add the use of a CPA to an existing connector half that was originally designed for use without a CPA. Conventional connector assemblies utilizing CPAs, however, feature connector halves that were both designed for use with CPAs, so conventional connector halves utilizing CPAs cannot conveniently be retrofitted to mate with existing connector halves. Additionally, it is desirable to have an interchangeable connector half that may be used interchangeably with both a mating connector half in a connector assembly utilizing a CPA and a different mating connector half in a connector assembly without a CPA, wherein the interchangeable connector half is manufactured as simply and economically as possible.
Also, conventional connector assemblies using CPAs and latches can suffer from other drawbacks. For example, the CPA may inadvertently advance to a position indicating the connector halves are mated when the connector halves are separated. The CPA may also not be secured in position when the connector halves are mated.
A connector is needed with an improved CPA and connector half configuration that overcomes the above-noted and other disadvantages of conventional connectors.
At least one embodiment of the present invention is provided including an electrical connector assembly comprising a connector position assurance device (CPA), a first connector housing, a second connector housing, a retention assembly, a second retention feature, and a CPA mounting assembly. The CPA includes a retention assembly locking element and a CPA retention element. One of the first and second connector housings has a body section with a mating interface on one end, and the other connector housing has an opening to receive the mating interface. A retention assembly is mounted to the first connector housing to maintain the first and second connector housings in contact when they are mated. The retention assembly includes a first housing retention feature, a CPA retention feature, and a locking contact surface. The retention assembly is movable between locked and unlocked positions. A second housing retention feature is mounted to the second connector housing. The second housing retention feature cooperates with the first housing retention feature to maintain contact between the first and second connector housing when they are mated.
The first connector housing has a CPA mounting assembly mounted thereto. The CPA is slidably mounted to the CPA mounting assembly and is movable to first and second positions. In its first position, the CPA permits biasing of the retention assembly and engagement and disengagement of the first and second connector housings. When the CPA is in the second position, the retention assembly locking element cooperates with the locking contact surface to prevent the retention assembly from moving to the unlocked position, thus preventing engagement and disengagement of the first and second connector housings. The CPA retention element cooperates with the CPA retention feature to maintain the CPA in the second position.
Additionally, the CPA may include a first CPA beam and at least one second CPA beam, and the retention assembly may include arms and a cross-member joining the arms. The first CPA beam includes the CPA retention element, and the second CPA beam includes the retention assembly locking element. The arms include the locking contact surface, and the cross-member includes the CPA retention feature. Optionally, the retention assembly may include a retention member with first and second retention member surfaces. The first retention member surface includes the first retention feature. The second retention member surface includes the CPA retention feature.
At least one embodiment of the present invention provides an electrical connector comprising a CPA, a plug housing, a header housing, a latch assembly, a latch retention assembly, and a CPA mounting assembly. The CPA includes a latch locking element and a CPA retention element. The plug housing has a body section with a mating interface on one end, and the header housing includes walls defining an opening to receive the mating interface.
A latch assembly is mounted to the plug housing for maintaining the housings in contact when mated. The latch assembly includes a retention feature, a CPA retention feature, and a locking contact surface. The latch assembly is movable between latched and unlatched positions. A latch retention assembly is mounted to the header housing, and includes a latch retention surface. The latch retention surface cooperates with the retention feature to prevent the separation of the plug and header housings when they are mated and the latch is in the latched position.
A CPA mounting assembly is mounted to the plug housing. The CPA is slidably mounted to the CPA mounting assembly and is movable to unmated and mated positions. In the unmated position, the CPA permits deflection of the latch assembly and engagement and disengagement of the plug and header housings. When the CPA is in the mated position, the latch locking element cooperates with the locking contact surface to prevent the latch assembly from moving to the unlatched position, thereby preventing engagement and disengagement of the plug and header housings. The CPA retention element cooperates with the CPA retention feature to maintain the CPA in the mated position.
Optionally, the latch locking element may include a raised surface, and the latch assembly may include an interfering surface and a clearance surface. The interfering surface is substantially parallel to the raised surface when the latch assembly is in the latched position, and the interfering surface contacts the raised surface when the latch assembly is biased toward the unlatched position and the CPA is in the mated position. The clearance surface is sloped relative to the raised surface when the latch assembly is in the latched position, and does not contact the raised surface when the latch assembly is in the unlatched position and the CPA is in the unmated position.
At least one embodiment of the present invention provides an electrical connector half assembly including a CPA and a connector housing. The CPA includes a retention assembly locking element and a CPA retention element. A retention assembly is mounted to the connector housing. The retention assembly includes a housing retention feature, a CPA retention feature, and a locking contact surface. The retention assembly is movable between locked and unlocked positions. A CPA mounting assembly is mounted to the connector housing, and the CPA is slidably mounted to the CPA mounting assembly and movable between first and second positions. The CPA permits biasing of the retention assembly when in the first position. The retention assembly locking element cooperates with the locking contact surface to prevent the retention assembly from moving to the unlocked position when the CPA is in the second position. The CPA retention element cooperates with the CPA retention feature to maintain the CPA in the second position.
Certain embodiments of the present invention thus provide a CPA and connector housing for electrical connectors. The CPA, in addition to providing position assurance, allows a CPA to be used with a connector half not originally designed for use with a CPA. The CPA is prevented from inadvertently advancing to a position indicating the connector halves are mated when the connector halves are separated. The CPA is also secured in position when the connector halves are mated.